Geological Changes in the South of Scotland. 29 



ficent and beautiful re-modeling of the earth's surface, by 

 which it was adapted for the habitation of man. All see and 

 acknowledge that some powerful agency has been brought to 

 bear upon it over its whole extent (during the aera) while it 

 was slowly emerging out of the bosom of the troubled deep ; 

 but various phenomena have been pointed to which the tidal 

 wave and rapid currents could never accomplish. Floating 

 icebergs and glaciers have of late been likewise alluded to 

 by master minds of the science, which are now hailed by many, 

 and as observation progresses, will throw much light upon 

 certain phaenomena which formerly appeared so dark and 

 dubious. It is with the greatest diffidence that the writer 

 presumes to give his opinion upon such an abstruse subject, 

 but the field is open to all ; and as the faculty of comparing 

 and judging of cause and effect is not confined to the great 

 and learned alone, obscure individuals have sometimes given 

 hints which have led to splendid results, and he submits the 

 following observations to the public from no other motive than 

 an anxious wish for the elucidation of truth. He is aware 

 that such a subject will attract little notice, unless introduced 

 by some great familiar name; however, the pleasure arising 

 from years of patient investigation has been a rich reward, 

 let its reception be what it may. 



Perhaps there is no part of Great Britain where the later 

 changes upon the earth's surface can be studied to greater 

 advantage than the district around Galashiels. Upon every 

 hand we have vast accumulations of boulder clay flanking the 

 hills, together with beds of gravel and sand overlying the lower 

 declivities, besides numerous examples of what is called crag 

 and tail, profusely strewed over with erratic boulders radia- 

 ting fan-like towards the east ; we have likewise broad and 

 well-defined terraces high up the hill-sides, which in them- 

 selves are objects of great interest; and lastly, there are the 

 hitherto unaccountable, tortuous, angular ridges of gravel 

 parallel with, or partly stretching across the valleys. All 

 these taken together combine to give evidence well worth the 

 attention of the profoundest intellect, as so many written cha- 

 racters of a past aera of the world's history traced by the hand 

 of that all-pervading Power, whom alone all the laws of na- 

 ture obey. Placed in such a favourable locality for observa- 

 tion, the writer has had his mind strongly impressed from 

 time to time, as he followed up the investigation of the varied 

 and striking appearances around him. His judgement may 

 be at fault respecting the cause of some of those appearances, 

 but at all events he would disdain to give willingly a woven 

 tissue of theory unbased upon facts ; his conclusions, therefore, 



